The present invention relates to recreational items, and, more particularly, to a system for supporting a cover deployed over a personal swimming pool during the winter.
Many people, particularly in suburban areas, have personal swimming pools on their property. In those geographic areas, such as the Northeastern region of the United States, such pools, when used outdoors, are only useful during fair weather months.
During the cooler winter (and certain autumn and spring) months, the pool is not used, and there exists a problem with maintaining the pool in good operation, and with a suitable degree of cleanliness, during the extended periods when the pool is not in use.
It is conventional, for example, to deploy a cover over the pool each winter, to protect it from debris, etc. Such conventional covers generally include a planar waterproof cover which is set out over the surface of the water in the pool. In some installations, the cover is maintained in place by depositing heavy objects, such as rocks, cinder blocks or the like, on the outer ends thereof, beyond the outer edge of the pool. In other installations, the cover may be maintained in place by means of a clinching drawstring, or other arrangement. Debris accumulates on the cover, but, in theory, does not reach the surface of the water underneath the cover.
Conventional pool covers do not always perform satisfactorily in practice, however. Specifically, debris tends to accumulate in the center of the cover over the winter, and thereby render the cover difficult to remove. In fact, the accumulated debris may cause the cover to tear, causing the debris to fall into the pool (frustrating the very reason for having the cover in the first instance). Alternatively, the weight of the debris may make it difficult to remove, and, during the course of removal, the debris may fall, accidentally, into the pool.
Some people attempt to solve the problem of the accumulation of debris by placing an object, usually a beach ball or air pillow, under the cover, on the surface of the pool, thereby raising the surface of the cover over the lip of the pool. This provides some impetus for having the debris fall away from the pool, rather than accumulate in the pool. However, over time, and particularly during cold weather, the beach ball deflates, rendering it ineffective. Additionally, the beach ball may drift, permitting the cover to sag and accumulate debris in any event.
There is thus a need for a device which provides a means for preventing the accumulation of debris over the pool, and for maintaining the integrity of the cover over time.